Remember how we envisioned modern and cheerful green leather parsons chairs around a chunky wood table from pretty much the moment we moved in? And how we decided that dyed-green slipcovers were pretty much the same thing when we found chairs for $25 and slipcovers for $23? Well, we were wrong. I dyed two of the chairs green and they were just not “it” (even if we altered the shade of green, we just knew it was the wrong way to go for us as soon as we saw these babies):
Especially considering that there would be seven or eight of them around the table at all times (and we have the bold built-ins going on in the background and dreams of chic patterned curtains, a huge cut out opening to the kitchen, a giant chandelier above the table, etc). It suddenly dawned on me that of all the things in the room that there were going to be there, the chairs were not the things that I wanted everyone to be staring at. In fact, I decided that I wanted the chairs to blend in. To become best supporting actors items to a few other things that we’d love to be the stars (namely the built-ins, the bold patterned curtains, and the showstopping chandelier that we can’t wait to bring in).
But let’s rewind to two of the four colors that we considered before we reached for the dye at all. First we thought long and hard about whether we wanted to dye them in the first place. We mentioned that the off-white tone of the covers looked dingy in contrast to the glossy white trim and built-in shelving, but even so we still wanted to live with them a while before doing anything rash.
So we did. And we definitely didn’t like the clashy off-white tone any better after the weeks ticked by. It was time for action.
Next we considered trying to somehow bleach them white. That way they wouldn’t look dingy and would tie right into the white trim and those white built-in shelves. But the more we thought about one of our major goals (for this house to be kid-proof and not make us into uptight fearful hosts) we realized that even though white slipcovers can be bleached they’d still show dirt more on a daily basis. Even dark denim could leave a blue tint behind on them (which is something that we never thought of, but some light googling brought to our attention). And if something a little darker could hide a bit more dirt (resulting in less frequent washings and kid-related heartburn) we’d take it. Function first. Plus we felt like white covers would stop the eye and call attention to themselves since they’d be so contrast-y next to the table (which wouldn’t fulfill the blend-right-in goal that I’d eventually come to reach anyway).
So it was back to the green chair idea that John and I thought would be just the ticket (and later learned… not so much). I’m actually a dye novice. In fact I’ve only dyed one thing before (besides my hair throughout middle school and high school- yes I once was a blonde). That thing that I’ve dyed? Oh yeah, it was my wedding dress (so I could wear it again, like to other weddings):
I can’t believe I had the guts but it worked out so I guess I have a soft spot for dye. It’s a great, easy, and affordable way to breath new life into something you wouldn’t wear otherwise. I’ve dyed everything including shirts, sweaters, and even jeans! It hasn’t let me down yet.
Anyway, here’s how I dyed those two slipcovers just in case you’re about to take the d-y-e plunge. It was actually really easy thanks to the type that I used this time. A bunch of readers and even a few relatives recommended iDye (we found it at JoAnn). It was under $3 for each pack (and I could use each pack to dye two slipcovers at once). It’s meant for natural fibers like linen and cotton and silk (jackpot: our slipcovers are linen and cotton). When it came to picking the color, there were a ton to choose from (which is soooo much nicer than just one tone of green or blue, which is the case with a few other dye brands). In fact there were at least five different green tones (green, olive, kelly green, emerald, chartreuse, etc) so we narrowed it down to these two:
We liked that chartreuse would be modern and fun, but worried that it might end up looking a little too neon and highlighter-ish. And we liked that kelly green would probably be a bit more green and less yellow, so we ultimately decided it was the way to go for that apple green look that I wanted from day one.
Although there were some simple directions on the pack, I’m waaaaay too neurotic to settle for those. So I went to their site for a lot more instruction (aka: hand holding). The fact that this dye worked with front loading washers was a huuuuge perk for me. And it was simple. Burger could have done it if he could reach the dryer buttons.
First I put two cups of hottest-possible-from-the-tap water into a big bowl. Then I dropped in the dissolving dye envelope from the dye kit. And I stirred it up.
Then I added one cup of salt (since that’s what they recommended on the dye site for cotton & linen fabrics, which is what the slipcovers are).
Then I stirred again. Oh and I used a paint stick.
The next step was to pre-wet two slipcovers before adding anything to our front loader (this shot shows how not-white the slipcovers were – sort of oat-meal-ish in person).
Then came the heart-stopping step. Pouring my bowl of hot water and dye and salt into the bottom of our front loading washer. Is it weird that it made me a little queasy?
Then I tossed the pre-wet slipcovers into the washer and started things up right away. The dye instructions on the site said to wash them in hot water and mentioned that adding an extra rinse cycle would help the color develop more. So I set it on “heavy duty” (which used hot water) and clicked the “extra rinse” button before hitting start.
About an hour later things were looking pretty green! Happily they were super even and there weren’t any streaks or dark spots (which was my worry). They looked like green slipcovers you’d buy in a store. Sidenote: how much fun would a store completely devoted to slipcovers be? I’m picturing roaming aisles of every color and shape imaginable. Like the big wall of flip flops at Old Navy.
Oh but before I could take them out and dry them, I did one last wash with cold water and a bit of mild detergent (as recommended by the dye site) which basically entailed clicking it to “normal” (and making sure it was cold water) and adding a smidge of Seventh Generation detergent. The second wash with cold water locked in the color and rinsed out any excess dye. Then I dried the covers on delicate (low heat) so they didn’t take too much of a beating since they were originally dry clean only and I didn’t want to press my luck (like I did here).
As for the color that they came out vs. the color on the pack, I thought it was a pretty good representation. My vision was flawed, but the kelly green pack really did produce a nice kelly green-ish (or apple green-ish) color.
Sadly it just wasn’t “the one.” Onward!
The fourth (and final!) color that we contemplated was good old fashioned mocha. Or as the dye pack called it: brown. We went back to JoAnn and stared at about twenty options and it just seemed like the best way to go. They’d hold up to stains and fall back nicely to let other items in the room be the stars. And the contrast of a chunky wood table and upholstered chairs is a sweet little casual choice (we worried the room would look too formal with eight wood chairs pulled around a matching wood table). So even though it would be brown covers with a brown table we knew the plush chairs vs. hard carved table would be a nice pairing. And by going with the same tone as the table they’d slip in and have less of a “hiya-we’re-a-whole-bunch-of-chairs-so-look-at-us!” vibe (which would have been an issue with green, off-white, or white in the end).
When it came to the actual dying process, again it was the same dealio. Except I used a brown pack to dye two slipcovers at a time instead of a kelly green one.
In went the dissolving pack into two cups of hot water…
… followed by a cup of salt…
… which was then mixed and tossed into the wash with two pre-wet slipcovers. One hot wash and one cold one later, I had yummy mocha covers to enjoy. Oh and it’s worth noting that many fabrics take to dye better than the most-likely-synthetic stitching (which often remains the color it always was). Luckily, white stitching with the mocha = cool with us.
Once again our covers came out looking completely even and didn’t have any dark or light spots or streaking. And after the warm and cold wash the color was set (the color doesn’t rub off at all or anything, even if you’re wet and you sit on the chairs). Oh but one quick note about cleaning your washer after you’re done dying everything: mine was sparkly clean (after one extra rinse cycle as advised by the iDye folks) except for the rubber ring that’s right next to the door, so I just ran a few paper towels across it until they were no longer slightly tinted brown.
Ta da (don’t mind the wrinkles, I let them sit in the dryer far too long before tossing them on the chairs and quickly snapping these pics this morning):
We love how they tuck right into the room (no more of that look-at-all-the-chairs thing is going on) and how they don’t blend too much thanks to the subtle variation in color and of course the hard vs. soft thing thanks to the carved table and the fabric slipcovers:
Most of all I think we’ll love how much dirt they’ll hide when compared to lighter slipcovers.
What about those two “extra” slipcovers that we dyed green (remember we got ten even though we only have eight chairs thanks to John’s genius suggestion since he worried about dye issues)? Well, we figured we had nothing to lose by trying to overdye them with brown (thinking they’d probably turn out a muddy olive tone, but it was worth a shot).
In a sweeeet turn of dye-related events, the brown totally took over and produced the identical color to the other brown covers (even with the green dye under it). So we have two extra brown covers on hand in case something catastrophic (sharpie, scissors, blood…) happens to any of the eight everyday covers that we have. Oh happy dye day.
In the end, it all came down to some basic math. Bold built-ins + patterned future curtains + a large view into the office + a large future chandelier/pendant + a large future punched out view into the kitchen + bright chairs = too ca-razy. So we’re down with brown. And we’re excited to let things like the built-ins and the future curtains/light fixture steal the show. Speaking of which, check out the designer fabric we snagged at a deep discount thanks to a slight imperfection that we can work around:
We love that it has brown tones (to tie into the table and chairs), white tones (to tie into the trim and built-in shelving), deep teal tones (which relate to the back of the built-ins) and pops of cheerful apple green (if it wasn’t right for the chairs, at least I’ll get it in the curtains). So it’s safe to say that we’re excited to get down to curtain making business soon. But most of all, we’re thankful that our chairs don’t look like this anymore:
Hallelujah. Oh and when it comes to the whole chair budget breakdown, here we go:
- Each chair: $25 (for a total of $200 spent for eight of them)
- Failed painting supplies: $10
- Each slipcover: $23 (for a total of $232 spent for ten of them)
- Six iDye packets from JoAnn (one green one and five brown ones): $18
- Total cost per chair: $57.50 (which also includes two spare slipcovers)
Have you guys dyed something around the house? Curtains? Pillow covers? Cloth napkins? Or are you a dye virgin who dreams of giving it a shot? I’d love to hear what you’ve been up to (or what you’ve been dyeing to do – har har).
Psst- We’ve had some pretty weird adventures with our $25 chairs. Here’s the post where we found them and here’s the post where I tried to paint one, and here’s the post about finding and shrinking the slipcovers.
Update: Check out how our dining room is coming together thanks to those curtains that we finally made here. Woot.
Lili says
Love how the slipcovers came out and that fabric for the curtains…love it! I love our dining table and chairs but we also have the hutch for it (too matchy, matchy)…I was thinking of getting some white slipcovers to make it feel more casual, especially because the kitchen, dining and den at all one big room. If I do this, do you guys think some solid curtains on the french doors would be best (I’m looking at some linen curtains in a light color, like flax from west elm)?
You guys are so creative! Can I borrow your mind for just a day?! = )
~ L.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah, you could totally add some pretty layered style with white slipcovers and flax linen curtains on the french doors! You also could add a subtle pattern to the curtains if you’d like (since they won’t really compete with much since your set is so basic) like a tone on tone stripe or chevron or something. Good luck!
Erin says
Thanks for the dying tips. Any ideas for the wall to the left of the table? Art, photo gallery, etc.?
YoungHouseLove says
That’s getting knocked out to make an opening (as wide as the window across from it) that leads to the kitchen! Should be fun.
xo,
s
Erin says
Oh that’s right…my bad!
Meghan says
I still can’t get over how perfect they fit after machine washing and drying them! Seriously….maybe someday one of my mistakes will work out in my favor! Awesome job guys, and LOVE the brown!
Becky :) says
Awesome Post guys! You are in fact the bravest! I could never put dye in my front loaders! WOW! BRAVE! I do really like the mocha…and how it just blends…ah lovely! As you said, the shelving color and the new curtains will be the color punch you desire! LOVELY!
Christa M says
Me likey! And love the contrast stitching!
Just a suggestion to pick up several more packages of the same dye to have on hand in case the sun does it’s bleaching thing on them…you can just re-dye! In the meantime, you can rotate the chairs around every so often to keep the sun-bleaching even. (That is if the sun hits them).
YoungHouseLove says
Such a great idea. We’ll have to head back for some backup!
xo,
s
Meggan says
I really like the brown tone-on-tone look. Doesn’t Nate always say to keep the big pieces neutral anyhow and add the color in accessories? Who’s going to argue with that man? The curtain fabric is great too. It’s like those drawings where you can either see a candlestick or a face. I thought it looked like pop-art lions :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- love that man. Definitely don’t want to argue with him. Kiss him? Yes. Wait that’s weird. Forget I said anything.
xo,
s
Clare says
I’m definitely looking forward to how you pull the whole room together, as I’m not sold on the brown slipcovers quite yet. Thanks for sharing!
Kayla says
I personally think the legs are just fine. So glad you weren’t into the green, for a minute I thought you were going to go with that crazy color!!!!
I recently dyed a pair of jeans that still had great fabric but the color had faded to a dirty/dingy color. It worked perfect!!!
Debbie says
I love the color of the green, but I do agree on thinking that eight chairs all that color would be a little overkill. The brown looks great too, though!
Kat says
Ohhh I never thought about dark jeans on the chairs… did you discover that the hard way??
On that note – don’t get light tan fabric inside your car! My driver’s seat is destroyed because I wear dark jeans all the time!
YoungHouseLove says
We actually learned that on google (it popped up when I was googling around about white slipcovers and how livable they were with kids).
xo,
s
Ally says
Just FYI, my mom called me this morning to ask me how I felt about the brown chairs vs. the green, haha. Perhaps we are a bit TOO interested in your blog :) She’s currently on her way over to Joanne’s to pick up some dye for the slipcover on her chaise. You guys inspire us all the time!
I’m in love with that fabric for the curtains. It’s going to look so gorg.
YoungHouseLove says
That is the best. You have me grinning like a fool over here. My mom reads the blog about once every few weeks (John’s too) so your mom is officially ahead. Haha.
xo,
s
colby says
Hi,
Where did you get your table? I have been looking for one like that for a long time!
Looking good!!!
Thanks,
Colby
YoungHouseLove says
Here’s that post for ya : https://www.younghouselove.com/2011/02/table-talk/
xo,
s
jenn says
Im sure you already know this, and or have heard it nearly a million times by now, buttttt, the chairs came out amazing! Can’t wait to see what you do with the curtain fabric!!
Ann B says
Curious – have you tried out a meal with the slipcovers on the chairs?
My past experience with dining slipcovers involved a lot of sliding – and everytime anyone sat in them they were all skewed afterward!
Was the shrinkage enough to get a good snug fit, or are you perpetually repositioning the covers?
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, we’ve eaten a few meals on the slipcovers (not since dyeing them since that was done this am) but they were very comfy and didn’t slip around or anything. I definitely credit that lucky shrinkage with saving the day!
xo,
s
Elizabeth says
“I definitely credit that lucky shrinkage with saving the day!”
That’s what she said!
(Sorry, couldn’t resist.)
YoungHouseLove says
I giggled while typing that. Knew someone would call me on it. Hah.
xo,
s
Sarah says
Just wanted to say I LOVE the brown on the chairs! I love apple green too and had liked that idea from the beginning, but after seeing it compared to the brown, I’m totally a mocha fan!
Haha, I’ve had my own dying adventures, most recently with a pair of old faded jeans that I wanted to make darker again. Let’s just say they now look purple and have been retired…
Plein Jane says
Lots of people have mentioned how the chairs now have a suede look. But especially with the white stitching, they look to me exactly like my favorite college-era mocha jeans. (Don’t judge — it was the 70s!) And that makes them look even more casual and family-friendly!
Oh, and I literally gasped when I saw the curtain fabric. Clearly, I need to add some excitement to my own life. Great job!
Theresa says
They’re not exciting, but that’s really good, they just sit comfortably around your table and don’t shout, “look at me!” There’s so much more to go into your room that it would all be too much, I’d never have thought of brown, but you’ve got such an eye for colour and design.
Here in the UK we’ve had maching machine dye for years, I use all sorts of dye now in the machine (front loader – they almost all are here) and it’s all worked well, sometimes I want the colour of a hand dye rather than what’s available in the machine range (Dylon)
I’m really looking forward to seeing that fabric made up as curtains, it’ll look good against the background you’ve set up in there.
Jen @ Domesticated Nomad says
Well, you have to be happy with it because it’s your house, but I almost shouted at my computer when you wrote you changed your mind about the apple green. Like, I’m seriously sad here because they looked so awesome and more inspiring than neutrals are. But then I reminded myself its not my house so I managed, just barely, to refrain from scaring my poor computer by hollering. :) I’ve never heard of iDye, so thanks for sharing that. The color choices seem fantastic.
GHL says
Where did you find that RA ikat for $12.99????!
YoungHouseLove says
A local place here in Richmond called U-Fab. They’re the best! It’s an imperfect bolt (see the white stripe down the side) but I can work around it! Hope it helps.
xo,
s
Monika says
Glad to hear you had success with iDye! You were so brave to try it in your front loader, I was to terrified when I used it so I went with the “cook on the stove” (which also worked great). Glad to know that next time I can try it in my front loader with confidence.
I think the mocha looks great, it will be nice to focus on some of the other features in the room (like the future chandelier). I look forward to seeing what you guys come up with. The dining room is really coming together.
Kristina says
I tried to create an ombre effect using dye on a yard of muslin to frame in my living room as art. I guess I left the fabric in the dye too long, there’s no gradation at all. Plus the color was so wrong, I want that apple green, so I guess I will try kelly green. Any ideas on how to make the dye run like watercolor?
YoungHouseLove says
No idea, maybe try googling around for dyeing techniques (perhaps google images or even pinterest will be a good place to look?).
xo,
s
Diana says
Put me in the column of “reserving judgment until I see the rest of the room” but I always worry about putting brown with gray. With wood, you have no choice, but adding in brown fabrics to gray paint is not my thing.
FWIW, I also won’t mix metals, though — ONLY silver/stainless OR gold/brass/bronze. I think this is proabably the same aesthetic.
Elizabeth says
I think everything goes with grey! And mixing metals makes me happy, but we all have different tastes…thank goodness!
Tania says
Nice job! You’ve inspired me to revisit some things in my closet that I’m not wearing and think about whether they can be re-worked with a dye job. I’m a dye virgin but seems worth a try. I wonder if there is anything specific to consider with dyeing denim given the weight/thickness of the fabric. Off to Google.
Thanks for sharing all your trial and error attempts with us on the blog. Oh and love the curtain fabric, can’t wait to see it up!
Kelly Smith says
You guys are totally fearless! I could only hope for half of your guts and determination to get things done the way that I would like them. Way to go!!!
P.S. Is it weird that I am always talking about you guys to friends and family when you do some awesome DIY stuff? I tell them, “these friends of mine…” LOL! We have never met nor spoken and I say “these friends of mine.” How crazy is that???
YoungHouseLove says
Hah I love it. We’re always saying “someone we know” when we’re referring to commenters. It’s one big happy family! Haha.
xo,
s
Elizabeth says
I just call you “that house blog couple”…to differentiate you from “that sports message board guy/girl” or “that Disney travel blogger”.
WOW, I may need to get out more.
LOL!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, well someone around the neighborhood called us “the chihuahua baby family” and we love it.
xo,
s
Ana Silva says
Yeah, the green really kinda clashed for me. But the end result of the whole process is pretty nice…and as long as you all like it. I like how you all don’t let a small set back stop you. Now I want to totally dye something, but what?
Wendy says
Love the mocha the best out of everything you’ve tried! Great choice, as usual! Can’t wait to see how the fabric looks in there!
Ashley says
I have to admit, when I first pulled up the post and saw the bright green chairs, I got a little nervous. Don’t get me wrong they are a fun color but def scream “LOOK AT ME!”
The mocha looks great. Loving that they are the same color family as the table. The different textures are so rich together while still “blending in” Bravo, Petersiks, bravo!
Is it just my imagination or do they fit a little snugger? Or maybe the camera and darker color just fool the eye?
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, I think it’s the darker color. They look less beachy and lose and more like suede- which we love. We got so lucky. Almost can’t believe it. Haha.
xo,
s
Ashley says
I know I can’t believe it either! I guess there’s something to say about not giving up! The look so much more chic!
Ashley says
Random… have you guys seen this thing?!?
http://www.pantone.com/pages/products/product.aspx?pid=1032&ca=1
Prob not in the budget but how amazing is this device?!? I’m way impressed.
YoungHouseLove says
Holy cow! So expensive but it does look like fun!
xo,
s
Christa M says
I was going to comment that they now look suede-like! Love it!
YoungHouseLove says
We just got lucky. Still waiting for something to go wrong since our slipcovers have shrunk and dyed so well. Haha.
xo,
El says
Your room surely is coming along really nice. It is funny how we just have to work through some of our ideas to decide if the vision we had really works or not. Love the end result.
BTW everytime I see your “dining” room I keep thinking you should build lower shelves with some columns on the entry side of the room to balance the office side wall shelves and separate the entry from the dining room. It looks like there is plenty of room to do so. Of course I keep thinking that because I don’t like the entry so open into my own dining room even though I do have some columns, but no walls. One day I will get the time to do it in mine.
Kati L says
The timing on this post is perfect for me!
I recently bought new white slipcovers for our Ektorp couch, chair and ottoman from IKEA, because they were l/3rd the cost of the colored slipcovers ($100 for all 3 white covers versus $325 for the 3 brown ones). I knew white would just not work for us (dirty boys + an orange kitty + white furniture would make me a nervous wreck!), so I’ve been wanting to dye them but have been too nervous! I also hadn’t been impressed with any of the color options I’d seen out there. This post has given me the courage to go for it & I will definitely be hitting up JoAnn’s to look at the iDye color options! Thanks so much!
Sofie says
My eye must be improving; when I accidentally scrolled down to the first picture of the green slipcovers I went “um, no”. On the other hand, I’m really liking the brown ones! It’s really nice to see how the room is coming together. :)
Sofie says
Oh, and I’m also loving the fabric for the curtains!
Jessie says
I heart iDye. Their iDye Poly version was a Godsend to the prop shop I work in when we had to dye some fur fabric…to make into durable moss. Yes, I have the craziest most awesome job ever :)
Nicole says
I’m watching Candace Olsen on her Design Secrets HGTV show (I think that’s what it’s called) and she is using that fabric in a room! I believe her exact quote was “the ikat is so hot right now.” Thought you might get a kick out of it!
Nicole says
It’s on right now (at least it is in NH)… maybe you have time to put on the tv and catch the final reveal!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha. Love it. Thanks!
xo,
s
Carrie says
I think the mocha looks great, especially with those curtains. Once you put the big opening into the kitchen, they won’t take away from whatever fabulous things you two do to the cabinets!
PS – That was a great tutorial. I was biting my nails thinking that the dye would wreck the washing machine!
JRo says
I’m glad you went with the brown. The green was way to fluorescent (at least on my computer screen) and would have clashed with the color of the built ins. Good choice!
Lisa in Seattle says
What was your first reaction when you took them out of the dryer? I think mine would have been “WHAT THE BLEEEEEEP???” I thought they would turn out a nice, soft, gentle apple green, not something that would be visible from space. Now they look cozy, you know? I like how they complement the warm tones in the table. I cannot wait to see this room with the curtains!
I’m surprised that Apple’s legal eagles haven’t gone after the iDye folks.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I thought they were a fun green color. I wanted something modern and not olive or forest green- so I honestly thought with the big chunky wood table they would work. But nope! Haha.
xo,
s
Kim says
haha yeah I totally paused for a minute and was like, wait Apple makes dye now?
lotsofideasnotenoughmoolah says
I prefer the green chairs. The brown is nice too….but a little too safe. I think the green chairs definitely make a more modern statement (which is what I like).
Jennifer Gessner says
I was watching “Candice Tells All” on HGTV and the fabric you gave us a sneak preview on for the curtains in the dining room were on her show… as curtains! The name of this episode is called “Secrets of indestructible design”. Maybe you can check it out and preview your fabric as curtains (I thought it looked awesome!!!)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s amazing! Such a coincidence.
xo,
s
Jan says
I love your site! However, I am not a fan of the brown chairs – too much brown (in my humble opinion).
georgia says
When I saw the green I was like WOAH! Then I thought that maybe alternating a green chair with a white would look good… Then I saw the mocha and ooooh me likey!! I think they blend in, but they look very stylish! Love what you have done!
I’m so tempted to dye my white curtains…. Hmm
Erin@His & Hers says
Thanks for the tip in the iDye–I’ll have to look for it! The chairs look like they came that way! :)
T. says
I love the mocha! Turned out great! I don’t think it looks “too brown” in that area, because you have so many different tones of brown. I think it looks very rich.
Mel V. says
Ooh, good results! I found a gorgeous old-fashioned coat at the thrift store a few months ago, with just one flaw – it’s an ugly shade of camel. I’ve been planning to dye it, but have been intimidated by the complexity of the acid dye process. I’ll have to try this instead! I want to dye it black… hopefully that’s not going to stain everything else I own!
Karla says
Love them!!
I wonder how true to color Chartreuse is. Do you think that would work on bed sheets?
I love the window fabric and on a random note, I so thought the horns on the top shelf were ceramic snakes! :)
Keep up the good/inspiring work!!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, John calls those the mustache. As for the chartreuse, I’m sure it would work on bedsheets and it would be a bright happy greeny-yellow. I say go for it! And tell us how it goes. Haha.
xo,
s
c allen says
I think it would look so rich with walls a shade similar to the chairs fabric… I just painted my wall Behr Brown Teepee, whcih seems very similar to you theme, and I just love it… (always had light walls, this change is so comforting)
Jaime says
I LOVE the chair color!! I also think the brown will serve you better down the line as far as table decorating goes. Call me crazy but I like to use accent serving pieces, centerpieces, etc in colors that are associated with the season/holiday when I entertain: red/white/silver for Christmas, orange/brown/gold yellows for fall/Thanksgiving, pastels for spring/Easter, etc, etc. With those lime/apple green chairs, you are really limited in your color choices for that. (did you think I could have used anymore forward slashes in that paragraph?? lol)
I also LOVE the curtain fabric!! Cant wait to see those come together!!! :)
April K says
Love the mocha chairs! They look great!
When I was growing up, my mom would use Rit dye to dye everything! She dyed our beige carpet mauve and some white dining room chairs blue. (Obvious ’90s decor, huh?!?) It worked really well, but it did change the texture of the carpet a little. Too bad DIY blogging wasn’t in back then. In her younger years, my mom was the queen of working with what ya got! I recently dyed some fabric to use as a drape in my bathroom, but it isn’t as chocolate brown as I want. I have never heard of this brand of dye. I will be going to Joanne’s tonight to get some!
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says
Amazing dye ideas. And the results are outstanding. No streaks and all even. Thanks for sharing. I’ve missed visiting your blog for a few weeks now. Been unwell :(
YoungHouseLove says
I missed you Kiran! Hope you’re feeling better.
xo,
s
Veronika says
I was waiting for this post for a long time. I really wanted to see how the chairs would end up! And I love it! Nice job!
Speaking of dying do u have idea how to paint jeans? I’m guessing idye wont work since it’s only for cotton/linen/silk.
Thanks a lot!
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, what are jeans made of? Are they 100% cotton or do they have spandex or lycra in them? I would read the materials on the tag and go to the iDye site we linked to and see what they recommend. I’m sure you can dye jeans though! Good luck!
xo,
s
Christine says
i love the mocha slipcovers with the wood chair legs and the table. looks great!
Melissa says
I’m bummed there won’t be apple green chairs! I’ve been really looking forward to those for ages. I guess it’s a good thing you didn’t get the ones you originally wanted that already WERE green!
YoungHouseLove says
Totally! John said that after the dying went wrong and I realized how glad I was! Returning eight chairs (or desperately trying to work around them) would have stunk!
xo,
s